The present invention relates to smart structures, and in particular smart structures having embedded sensors and actuators.
Devices such as capacitive sensors and switches have been embedded within bodies to perform as remote sensing devices. It is further known that limited types of information can be accessed from such sensors without the need for direct physical connection to the exterior of the body in which they are embedded. For example a passive antenna circuit has been installed within a tire and utilized from the exterior of the tire to determine changes in tire pressure which affect the antenna circuit resonance. It also has been suggested that an artificial heart can be electrically powered from the exterior of the body by antenna radiation of electromagnetic energy. Such devices, however, are unsuitable for complex structures. For example, in the context of an aircraft structure, there is a need for multiple and varied active sensing and actuating functions to be performed at many locations throughout the aircraft without direct power and data connections to each location.